


forget-me-not

by bestie



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23447494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestie/pseuds/bestie
Summary: “Now, don’t mind an old lady butting in, but would you two be interested in a bouquet?”“Ah, no, we’re just looking,” Tsumugi says.At the same time, Tasuku says, “We are, yeah. How much?”
Relationships: Takatoo Tasuku/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Comments: 19
Kudos: 173





	forget-me-not

_'gimme your hand.'_

“Ah, Tsumugi, Tasuku, would you guys mind doing the grocery shopping today?” Izumi asks.

With her hopeful smile, it’s a bit hard to say no. Still, the eyes of the others on him has Tsumugi tempted to do just that. They’ve all got a sort of scheming glint to their eyes, but a few of them look more smug than the rest; Banri is leering at them, Itaru has a sleazy grin on his lips, and Azuma has this look to his gaze like he just _knows_ something. even Matsukawa seems like he’s in on it — whatever ‘it’ may be. _What in the world…?_

Before Tsumugi can even open his mouth to answer, Tasuku answers instead: “Yeah, sure. do you have the list?”

“Ta-dah!” Matsukawa exclaims, wildly waving a piece of paper around. He dips into a bow that’s oddly theatrical as he holds the paper out to Tsumugi.

“Ah… Thanks, Matsukawa,” Tsumugi says as he takes the paper. Giving it a once-over, it’s longer than a usual list, but that seems to be because they need to stock up on some of the basics. All things considered, it doesn’t seem _too_ bad, but there’s a few items that are going to be heavier than Tsumugi will be able to manage carrying. “Should it really just be the two of us going, though? If anyone else is free, maybe—”

“No, no, no!” Izumi exclaims. All eyes now on her, and realizing her own outburst, she lets out a nervous giggle as she says, calmer this time, “Uh, _no_ , everyone else is actually busy, because—because we’re all, um, gonna be getting ready for the party tonight!”

Sakyo’s glare is sharper than a dagger. “ _Party?”_

Another burst of giggles. “Yeah, Sakyo, _the party!_ You know, to, aha, celebrate, like…the weather and stuff! That’s why the list is so long today!”

Tasuku looks even more confused than Tsumugi must look. “We’re having a party for some good weather? No offense, but what the hell—?”

“Oh my god, just go already,” Yuki snaps, “before we have to hear her dumb idea all over again.”

“Idea? What—?” is all Tsumugi is able to say before he’s interrupted by a _click_.

Kazunari grins widely, aiming his phone at the still-confused Tasuku and Tsumugi. There’s another _click!_ as he snaps a second photo of them. “Man, the two of you are dressed totes perfect for a shopping trip. You guys look like a matching couple! I’m gonna post this on Instablam and tag you guys, ‘kay?”

Everything just gets more and more concerning. “Uh, please don’t post that,” Tsumugi says with a nervous laugh. “Or at the very least, since I know I can’t stop you from doing that, maybe leave off anything related to us being a couple?”

Kazunari sticks his tongue out at him. “ _Bo-oring_. Whatevs, I'll just draft it for now. By the end of the day I bet it’ll be totally accu—”

Yuki raises a hand and, without any remorse, slaps Kazunari on the back of his head. “Hey, maybe stop talking before our director has a heart attack.”

Looking back to Izumi, she _does_ seem a bit pale. Panicked, even. Before Tsumugi can even ask if she’s alright, she stammers out, “C-Couple outfits? _Hah!_ What? Kazunari is just… He’s _soooo_ crazy, huh? Well, anyways, aha-ha, have fun shopping—!!”

They’re quite literally shoved out the door by Izumi and Matsukawa. After the door slams shut behind them (and it sounds like they might’ve even locked it, too), all Tasuku and Tsumugi do for a few seconds is stand there in silence.

Then, the questions start to roll in. Breakfast had seemed entirely normal up until Izumi asked for them to go grocery shopping. How had everyone but Tsumugi and Tasuku known about this sudden party? Why were they the two specifically chosen to go grocery shopping? What in the world was Izumi hiding? Was everyone else in on it? They must’ve been. Yuki had mentioned an idea, and Kazunari seemed to almost blab about something, so what—

A hand closes around Tsumugi’s. He startles, the unexpected contact drawing him out of his racing mind.

It’s Tasuku. Of course. His eyes narrow at Tsumugi. “You gonna walk, or will I have to drag you to the store myself?”

Tsumugi pulls his hand free, frowning up at Tasuku. “I'm perfectly capable, thank you.”

“Sure, says the guy staring off into space.”

“Am I not allowed to think?”

Even as they set off for the grocery store, their casual bickering slowly turning into just their usual chit-chat, Tsumugi still can’t shake off the feeling that something very strange is going on. And, worst of all, it seems he and Tasuku are right in the center of it.

_What was all the fuss about couple outfits?_

That’s when it clicks.

\- - -

_'like linking shoulders and stuff?'_

They’re only a few blocks away from the store when they come upon something rather interesting. The florist’s shop has a stall outside the shop. There's a sign on the front of the stall that reads ‘ _discounted flowers! make a bouquet for a special price!’_ and it is, perhaps, one of the best things Tsumugi will see all day.

But Tasuku must notice it too, because he says to Tsumugi, “Stop ogling. We gotta get the shopping done so Omi and Izumi can get started on the cooking for tonight.”

“I wasn't _ogling_ ,” Tsumugi snaps back, almost too defensively.

“Nah, you definitely were,” says Tasuku. He’s walking straight ahead, clearly with no intention of stopping to so much as _look_ at the flowers, even for just a few moments.

What Tsumugi does next is something he does without thinking.

He links arms with Tasuku. With no resistance from him, Tsumugi pulls him in, back toward the stall. To be sure Tasuku doesn’t try to make a run for it, he pulls him even closer, so close their shoulders are pressing together.

“Come on, Tachan. They smell so nice, don’t they?” Tsumugi says softly, a smile on his face. He’s already imagining the bouquets he could make — and, unfortunately, the money they’ll cost. It wouldn’t be a problem normally, but he didn’t get the chance to grab his wallet before being forced out of the dorm. His smile falls into a small pout as he looks over the array of flowers. “Ah…but I guess Sakyo wouldn’t approve of us dipping into the grocery budget for some flowers, would he?”

“That's why I wanted to keep walking,” Tasuku says with a snort of laughter. “Seriously, that face you’re making is _exactly_ why.”

“Then maybe you should’ve just pulled me along like you said earlier.”

“Hey, I still can.”

“Really?” is all Tsumugi says, the hint of a challenge laced within his voice. Still, he doesn’t quite budge, instead continuing to look over the flowers on display. There really are so many options. And Tasuku isn’t trying to drag him away, so maybe he doesn’t mind taking a moment to — stop and smell the roses, so to say.

A quiet _ahem_ grabs their attention. The old woman running the stall smiles at them, but there’s something oddly mischievous about it. “Now, don’t mind an old lady butting in, but would you two be interested in a bouquet?”

“Ah, no, we’re just looking,” Tsumugi says.

At the same time, Tasuku says, “We are, yeah. How much?”

Before Tsumugi can say anything, the old woman beats him to it. “I thought so! It's 1,500 yen for a ten-flower bouquet. However…” And there it is. That smile of hers grows only more mischievous. “...well, I wouldn't mind giving a bit of a discount. How about 1,000 yen for a couple as sweet as you two?”

Tsumugi’s eyes widen. His cheeks flare with heat. He tries to pull away from Tasuku, but now Tasuku is the one holding _him_ hostage. Even so, he tries to dissuade the old woman. “O-Oh, no, ma’am, you have th—“

Tasuku elbows him in the side. Their arms still linked together, he rifles through his wallet and pulls out the needed money. “That’s _really_ kind of you, ma’am. Here you go,” he says, handing the money over. Glancing over at Tsumugi, his stare more akin to a subtle glare than anything ( _a warning_ , Tsumugi notes), he says to him then, “Pick out what you think looks best.”

“Are you sure?” is what Tsumugi says out loud, but in his mind, what he’s really wondering is _are you crazy?_ They’re _not_ a couple; should they seriously be taking advantage of this lady who’s just trying to be kind? “I don't want you to waste your own money...”

“Well, we could use something to brighten up the dorm. And it’d be rude of me to take my money back, anyway. So go for it, Tsumu. My treat.”

Tasuku is almost scarily good at sounding like an encouraging boyfriend. He has the attitude down perfectly, but Tsumugi knows him too well. It’s all in the eyes — another warning, another urging to _just_ _go along with it_.

With Tasuku’s stare boring into him, Tsumugi has no choice but to relent. Sighing, he slips his arm free and moves closer to the flower stand. There's such a colorful array of flowers to choose from. The florist hovers rather close to him, watching eagerly. She starts rattling off suggestions, and Tsumugi nods along just to be polite, but he’s putting something else together in his mind.

Someone comes up behind him, and Tsumugi doesn’t even need to turn around to know that it’s Tasuku. He’s a steady presence, merely watching quietly with an arm draped over Tsumugi’s shoulder. Tasuku isn’t nearly as fluent in the meanings behind flowers as Tsumugi is; maybe Tsumugi’s told him a few things here and there, but that’s about it. Most of this is probably going right over his head, and yet he’s putting up with it for Tsumugi. 

The old lady fauns over them, and Tasuku plays along to keep the charade going. Meanwhile, Tsumugi busies himself with the flowers, ignoring the heat he feels building in his cheeks. Why does this feel natural? Moreover, why does Tsumugi feel so _okay_ with that? 

The forget-me-nots catch Tsumugi’s eye. 

\- - -

_'what if we laugh together?'_

Dinner is loud, busy, chaotic. There's plenty of food and plenty of drinks, and once everyone is full and sated, there’s plenty of focus on keeping Tasuku and Tsumugi together. There’s plenty of comraderie within the company, sure, but… After a while, it becomes rather obvious to Tsumugi what’s going on. The biggest hint is one of the games they play after dinner.

“Truth or dare time!” Taichi announces, banging on the table like it’s a drumroll. “Dun-dun-dunnn— _Tsumugi!_ You go first!”

“Huh?” Tsumugi frowns. “Wait, shouldn’t we play rock-paper-scissors to decide?” Everyone shakes their heads at that suggestion, and Tsumugi realizes why a beat later. That would be decidedly unfair. “Okay, maybe not. In that case...we should pull sticks or something, right—?”

Tasuku leans a little close to him, lowering his voice a notch as he says to him, “You _scared_ , Tsumugi?”

Taichi and Kazunari let out a chorus of _oohs_.

“Totally scared,” says Kazunari.

“I'm not! I just think we should do this fairly…” But everyone else is giving him looks of disapproval, so he gives in quickly. The alcohol helps him ease up too, anyway. They’re just lucky they’ve got him caught on a night like this. With a sigh, Tsumugi leans back in his seat. “All right, all right. Truth.”

Taichi grins, resting his chin in his hands as he peers across the table at Tsumugi. He’s got a plan, it’s obvious. “Who was your first kiss?”

Another chorus of _oohs_. Taichi, of course, participates.

Tsumugi purses his lips. “Oh, that… Ah...” He glances aside at Tasuku, brow furrowing just a touch; he tries to play it off as something casual, but he _knows_ there’s definitely something off about the way he’s acting anyway. All eyes are on him. He clears his throat, then says with a soft laugh, “It was, uh, Tasuku, actually...”

“ _What?”_

Tasuku is quick to react, reeling on Tsumugi with wide eyes. “Hang on. When we practiced for that scene, you told me you already had your first kiss!”

“Would _you_ have told the truth?” Tsumugi asks. “That’s a little too embarrassing, in my opinion. It was easier to just say I'd never done a kiss on stage, which was _also true_.”

“Sure, but that’s still basically a white lie. I can't believe you. Seriously, _me?_ ”

There’s a bit of a heavy silence that settles over the kitchen. Concerned eyes, curious eyes, all on them. It's always awkward to witness a couple’s spat, so it must be even _more_ awkward when it’s the two people they’re trying to put together. Maybe this is a little mean of Tsumugi?

Banri suddenly groans, drawing their attention to him. “You’re fucking with us,” he says, without any hesitation. “Right? You’ve gotta be. _Tasuku_ was your first kiss? Get real.”

Izumi whacks his shoulder. She looks as panicked as she did earlier in the morning. “Hey, c-come on, don’t be rude!”

“I’m just _sayin’_ , that’s—“

“Romantic!” Muku exclaims, interrupting Banri, just as panicked as poor Izumi. “I, um… I think it is, at least,” he adds in a quieter voice, looking to Tsumugi with those puppy-like eyes that have him feeling a bit guilty.

That’s what does them in.

Tasuku cracks first with a poorly-concealed snort. Tsumugi giggles next, and then they’re both laughing without being able to stop. The illusion breaks, and one by one, each person’s face alights with understanding.

“Y’see? I _knew_ they were fuckin’ with us,” Banri grumbles, rubbing at his shoulder.

\- - - 

_'maybe we could goof off, like friends do...'_

“So, you figured it out too, huh? Way before me, I'll bet.”

Tsumugi looks up from the pot he’s been scrubbing at to see Tasuku standing beside him with a handful of plates. For a moment, Tsumugi’s a bit confused, but then he catches the insinuation lying there — the rest of the company had been dead-set on getting Tasuku and Tsumugi alone today. A little bit of revenge was in order, and Tsumugi was rather glad Tasuku had gone along with it, even if the ‘punishment’ for lying meant he’d been relegated to dish-cleaning duty.

“Mhm, yeah. After Kazunari mentioned us dressed like a matching couple, actually,” Tsumugi admits with a soft laugh. “Sorry. I should've mentioned it earlier, huh? You can just dump those in here. I'll get to them next.”

“Nah, I'll help out. You’ve already done half of the dishes.” As Tasuku slips on his gloves, he bumps shoulders with Tsumugi, giving him a little grin. “Besides, I bet they’ll be happy to see us together anyway.”

“Oh, stop,” Tsumugi says, scrunching his face in disapproval. He raises a gloved hand that’s covered in soap suds and flicks his fingers at Tasuku’s face, sending a clump of bubbles right at him.

Tasuku reers back, blinking in surprise. He wrinkles his nose, trying to somehow wiggle the bubbles off, but they’re stuck there. “You piece of—!“ he growls out. He reaches for the handle to turn the water on, and before Tsumugi can fumble to stop him, his glove is wet and he flicks his own fingers, sending a spray of water into Tsumugi’s face.

“H-Hey!” Tsumugi exclaims, trying to sound angry but failing miserably. He places the pot back in the sink, and turns to face Tasuku, mustering up the best glare he can manage. “Geez, this is _your_ fault I'm here… You’re the one who laughed first! For that—“ A pause as he reaches up and, with no warning, squishes Tasuku’s cheeks between his soapy gloves. “— _you_ deserve this.”

“Do I really? You’re the one who went into it just _assuming_ I’d go along.” Tasuku places his hands atop Tsumugi’s, and he gently pries them away. “Maybe you just brought all of this on yourself, Tsumu. Didn’t think of that, did you?”

Tasuku still hasn’t let go of his hands. Now that there’s a sudden lull in the conversation, Tsumugi also realizes just how close they’ve ended up. Now is _not_ the time to be nervous— Tsumugi has no idea why he suddenly is, but he swallows down the panic and, instead, frees his hands from Tasuku’s hold on them. He slips one of his gloves off, sets it aside, and then, with a smile, uses his thumb to wipe the bubbles off of Tasuku’s nose.

“Maybe I _did_. I think it was worth it just to see that panicked look on your face,” he murmurs, a cheeky twinge to his voice. “Did you actually believe it for a second?”

Tasuku scoffs. “As if... I'm pretty sure I'd remember kissing you.” 

“College was a while ago, though,” says Tsumugi. His hand moves to Tasuku’s cheek as he continues to swipe away the soap suds. “Maybe your memory’s gotten faulty.”

“You calling me old?”

“I didn't say _that_.”

Tasuku clicks his tongue. He looks like he’s about to say something, but suddenly, his gaze snaps away, focused somewhere else. He goes stiff. Tsumugi feels a crawling sensation down his back, like he’s being watched. He turns, slowly, to look over his shoulder, and nearly jumps at the sight of Izumi standing there, wide-eyed and red-faced.

She lets out a scream.

“I - I wasn’t watching!” she exclaims, crossing her arms in front of her chest like a big _X_. “I really wasn’t! I was just going to come in to offer to finish the rest of the dishes for you so you could go find a vase for the flowers—!”

“Th-that’s fine!” Tsumugi exclaims, quickly removing his hand from Tasuku’s face and taking a solid five large steps away from him. His heart is beating wildly in his chest; his mind is racing a mile a minute. He’s so flustered it takes him far too long to pull his other glove off and dump it in the sink. “Uh, where—where exactly would there be a vase?”

“S-st-storage room! There’s a few in there, so pick whichever you like best, please!” Izumi squeaks out.

Tasuku has already taken his gloves off; Tsumugi knows this because the hand that clamps down on his shirt collar is warm and dry when it brushes against the back of his neck. “‘Scuse us, then,” he says shortly, and then he’s pulling Tsumugi — _by the collar_ — out of the kitchen.

Tsumugi manages to grab the bouquet off the counter as they leave, though.

\- - -

_'just tell the person how you really feel.'_

They do not find the storage room. Somehow, they find a room with a door that’s decided to lock them in— _decided_ to because there’s no lock that either of them can find, nor was there one on the outside of the door.

You would think after having to find Izumi _twice_ in this same room, they’d remember her mistakes and not repeat it themselves. But no, of course not, so now _they’re_ stuck in the mysterious room, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor. The flowers sit in a clear vase in front of them.

“At least there was a vase in here,” Tasuku mutters, a bitter twinge to his voice.

Tsumugi chuckles. “Sure. But with how focused everyone seemed to be on getting us alone, I'm a bit worried they won’t come looking for us right away. Especially after…”

Even though he trails off, it’s obvious what he’s talking about. Izumi looked so red it seemed like she had a fever.

Tasuku groans, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Ugh. Don’t even remind me.” Silence falls over them. It’s not exactly a comfortable silence, but rather a bit tense. Tasuku is drumming his fingers against his knee, his lips pursed, his eyes staring at the door as if he’s willing it to open. Then, suddenly, he shakes his head. “Whatever. This sucks. What’d you choose for the flowers?”

“W-What?” Tsumugi feels his heart stop for a beat, the speed up to make up for it. That was something he’d planned on keeping very much to himself. “A question like that is a bit random, don’t you think?”

“Maybe, but you completely ignored that lady’s advice. Sue me for being curious. And sitting here in silence is boring, so we should talk about _something_.”

“I… Well, it’s…”

At what point should the speed of someone’s heart be concerning? Tsumugi shifts uneasily, bringing a hand to the side of his neck as casually as he can, counting the number of beats as a secondary thought. He’s silent for a while, probably too long, but Tasuku doesn’t rush him despite his boredom.

The bouquet is so bright it’ll draw anyone’s eye. Tsumugi looks down at it, thumb tracing the rim of the vase. There’s something about Tasuku, too. Sure, he’s tall and fit, but there’s something _else_. He has this energy about him that Tsumugi wishes he could have; he just draws Tsumugi in until it feels like he’s drowning.

And he’s so frustratingly _okay_ with that.

Tsumugi takes in a breath.

“Fine,” he mumbles, and the way Tasuku smiles at him has his heart speeding up all over again. “So… The forget-me-nots represent treasured memories. Memories that you love, really. The acacia represents a true friendship, and, ah… It can represent love, as well. But it’s more of a secretive love.”

Tasuku's expression is deeply focused as he looks over the bouquet. “Okay. You don’t have to explain the rose to me, though. That’s just _love_ , yeah? Plain and simple,” says Tasuku. He purses his lips, staring long and hard at the flowers, like he’s trying to count every last petal. “So, basically…your bouquet is about a secret love with treasured memories. _Loved_ memories. What, do you have a secret girlfriend? Or maybe it’s… _Oh_.” He turns to look at Tsumugi with a grin. “Wait, is this about the _Mankai Company?_ You too embarrassed to tell the rest of the troupe how you feel about being here, Tsumu?”

And there it is again, that clenching feeling in his chest, the tightening of his throat. Panic. Normally he’d be able to muster up some sort of half-hearted rebuttal to Tasuku’s teasing, but this time, nothing comes except silence. Tsumugi takes in another breath, lets it out slowly to stall for time. Then, he says the words he’s been holding back: “No, it’s...about you, actually.”

Only a few times in Tsumugi's life has he ever experienced silence as ‘loud’. Right now, it’s the loudest it’s ever been, practically _deafening_.

Tasuku has gone so perfectly still that Tsumugi wonders if a single touch might tip him over. He hasn’t even blinked. He just _stares_ , brow furrowed together, lips slightly parted like he’s about to say something but the words have ended up caught in his throat. And all Tsumugi can do is stare back, unable to hide the growing embarrassment and fear he’s feeling. The heat within his cheeks flares, travelling down his neck and all the way to his ears.

“I— I’m sorry,” says Tsumugi. What else can he do but apologize? “I… I shouldn’t have said anything. Really, I’m—”

The regret comes next, relentless as it floods his mind. Why did he say that? Why didn’t he just keep these feelings to himself? Why did he ruin their relationship _again_ , for such a selfish reason? _Why_ — 

_Why is Tasuku moving closer?_

Tsumugi is the one frozen now, eyes fixed on Tasuku as he leans down. He doesn’t move. He _can’t_ move. All he can do is stammer out a bunch of noises that are supposed to be words but they don’t quite mesh together into anything other than, “Uhm, uh, ah—”

And then he’s silenced by Tasuku’s lips on his. 

There’s about a thousand cliches that could describe this one single moment, but more than anything, something about this just feels _right_. Finally, Tsumugi moves, one of his hands cradling the back of Tasuku’s head, fingers weaving into his hair, and the other hand he braces against the floor for balance.

Tasuku is gentle but insistent, not pushing too far but not letting Tsumugi pull away either. It’s easy for Tsumugi to lose himself in this, in Tasuku. He’s just — _intoxicating_. Tsumugi’s head feels like it’s spinning. _Not fair_. It’s not fair that Tasuku does this to him.

He pulls back, just to breathe before he drowns in this feeling, and he’s pleasantly surprised — thrilled, even — to see the redness that’s dusting Tasuku’s cheeks. This time, when Tsumugi’s heart skips a beat, it’s not for anything bad.

“Maybe you should warn me next time,” Tsumugi murmurs, unable to stop the smile he feels coming on.

“Maybe you should warn _me_ ,” says Tasuku. He huffs out a laugh, and his cheeks only get redder. “Tsumugi, how long…?”

It’s a good question. One Tsumugi isn’t quite sure he knows the answer to. Oddly enough, today felt like any other day with Tasuku, just with some extra prodding by their friends and a rather invested old woman. The only major _difference_ , he figures, was just being forced to think of it within that other context — them, together. _Together_. But it didn’t feel strange, or bad, not even for a second. It felt _normal_. When did they become that to Tsumugi? How long?

“A while, I think,” is how he answers, even though he doesn’t sound very sure of himself.

“You _think?”_

“How long for you, then?”

Tasuku grins. “Honestly? I don’t know. I guess I can’t give you crap for it, then.” He crawls a little closer, coming into Tsumugi’s space, but it’s not unwelcome. “Today sort of opened my eyes to it, though.”

“Well, I _did_ just tell you…”

“Oh, shut up,” Tasuku mutters, leaning in again. His laugh is a warm breath that tickles Tsumugi’s lips. “You know what I mean.”

Tsumugi merely hums in response, his smile cheeky as he tilts his head up, sealing their lips together in another kiss. There are worse ways to pass the time, he figures. They’ll have plenty of time to talk about this revelation and what it means for them later.

\- - -

“OH MY GOD!”

Tasuku and Tsumugi immediately scramble to separate from each other when they hear the shout, untangling themselves and hurriedly putting about six feet of space between them. The vase falls to the floor in their mad scramble with a loud rattle, but luckily, it doesn’t shatter.

Standing in the open doorway is Taichi, his eyes blown wide. He gapes at the two of them, making no move to...well, move.

“What? What is it?!”

Another voice. Izumi. She comes running, clearly panicked (and who wouldn’t be after Taichi shouted like that?), and stops short just behind Taichi. Her eyes widen too when she sees Tasuku and Tsumugi.

“How did you guys end up _here_ _?_ No, actually, there’s no point in questioning that…” she mutters to herself. The dorm continued to prove itself to be a building of mystery; there really was no point questioning it. Shaking her head, she then asks Taichi, “Why in the world would you scream like that? You scared all of us!”

“Th-they were…”

“In here? So? You don’t scream bloody murder for—”

Taichi raises a finger, pointing it at Tasuku and Tsumugi as he shouts, “They were k-ki-kissing—!!”

Izumi’s eyes go just as wide as his. “Oh!” she says, and she suddenly clamps her hands over Taichi’s eyes. “Wow! Okay! Taichi! Please,” she continues, “go get a snack in the kitchen!”

“But I’m not—”

“Kitchen! Now, please!” Izumi exclaims, directing Taichi out of the doorway. When he doesn’t budge, she moves her hands from his eyes to his back and gives him a light shove. “ _Go!_ ”

“Fiiiine,” Taichi whines. “But I’m gonna tell _everyone_ what I saw!” He sets off at a run, perhaps the fastest Tsumugi has ever seen him move.

After he’s gone, there’s a strained silence. Izumi looks at Tsumugi and Tasuku, tilts her head like she’s pondering something deeply. After another few seconds of silence, she says, “So...my plan worked?”

Tsumugi and Tasuku share a look. Did it? Well, technically.

“Ah, yeah. It sure did,” Tsumugi says then, giving her an affirming nod.

“Yep,” says Tasuku. “All thanks to you, Izumi.”

Izumi grins widely. “Sakyo owes me money, then. _Hah._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for the mildly abrupt and lame ending but thanks for reading, i love these clueless gays with all my heart


End file.
